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Chapter 5
In this chapter the concept of a beast is developed and Ralph discusses laziness on the island in a large meeting. Summary At the start of this chapter Ralph thinks about his leadership and power over the other children on the island, and then decides to call a meeting. In the meeting he lays down new rules for the other students, and they are not happy. Jack tries to argue back but Ralph still has enough control over him to cause him to stay silent. After this, the matter of a beast on the island is discussed because many of the 'littluns' have nightmares. This causes lots of unrest for more of the children, but Ralph is unmoved as a strong leader, stating that there is no beast; '...only that's nonsense! Like bogies.' Characters Ralph has now matured considerably and is starting to think almost philisophically about life in general. The monotony of his stressful life of leadership has sunk in, no longer does he want to be a scruffy haired islander. Furthermore, when Ralph is unable to calm the tribe who are talking of a 'beastie', he becomes flustered realising that this could be the collapse of his society. While he does think of relinquishing chiefdom, Piggy and Simon persuade him otherwise and it seems his inner turmoil will continue. Many of the younger (and even older) boys have greater fears on their mind though, as tales of a 'beastie' emerging from the sea seems almost viable and therefore very frightening. So frightening in fact that for the first time, an assembly is impromptu ended because of panicked children. Setting As the assembly progresses, the area gets darker because the sun is sinking. This simble change in ambient light has the effect of creating general unease among the boys who are facing the ocean from where a beast is said to emerge and surrounded by jungle where it is frequently seen. Doubtlessly the area seems a lot more isolated and dangerous at night than it does in the day and this is reflected by the ceaseless nighttime crying of the littluns. Themes and Writing Style Fear of the beast is reintroduced in this chapter, surfacing for the second time after chapter 2. The young childrens fear is the main problem in this chapter, caused by the idea of a beast, and although Ralph tries to comfort and persuade them that there is no beast, they are not reassured. This could be because sometimes a child does not have the natural power that an adult does, and therefore couldn't comfort the children. Ralph's leadership is once again challenged in this chapter by Jack during the meeting, but Ralph is still in control as Jack submits. 'Jack stood up, scowling in the gloom... Jack sat down, grumbling' shows this submission and that Ralph still has the power. This is important for the story as it shows the progressive loss of power on Ralph's behalf, and that perhaps sometimes a child is not good enough as a leader. Conclusion and Final Comment Overall, this chapter is essential in reinforcing the fears the children have and establishing the presence of death on the island. This createsa tension for the events to come, meaning that they have a more powerful effect on the reader.